The latest release from the Paris based singer-songwriter which will be welcome to his long-time fans. Over the last few years Murphy has released numerous albums since his acclaimed debut Aquashow. The songs on this five track ep were written in his Paris apartment while looking across the street at a vacant apartment. Benedict’s Blues opens the set which was produced by Murphy’s son Gaspard. Murphy is joined here by excellent long time guitarist Olivier Durand who can be heard to good effect throughout especially on that opening song. Laurent Pardo plays bass and Alan Fartas is the drummer. This tight musical unit is the perfect one to back Murphy’s distinctive voice and song structures.

The words, as always, veer towards the poetic and the pictorial, often telling stories in non-linear classic Dylanesque rhymes that makes perfect sense in context.Sweet Honky Tonk talks of missing New York in general and a bagel in particular. Land of Nod, as befits the title, is taken a gentler pace. Things get a little more uptempo with The Land That Time Forgot and the final track is Every Little Star, wherein destiny is pondered as a question of “would you rather be happy or be right”. I’d rather be happy and this small slice of Murphy does that. It keeps you satisfied until the next full album comes along. Murphy’s website lists all the albums he has so far released http://www.elliottmurphy.com/discography.html and also supplies some unreleased versions of his songs, for both newcomers and long time fans.